Re: [tlug] State of "Linux" documentation [C&C]

[Joe Larabell <fred62@example.com>]

> > > Since when have they stopped distributing manuals as part of the
> > > package, though?  You buy Solaris, you get a pretty good book.
> >
> > We didn't, unless you count the online documentation.
>
> man(1) will take you a long way.

First, if "man" qualifies as a "pretty good book", then I think most Linux 
distributions do fairly well in that area -- though I'm not sure how many 
install the man pages by default.

Second, I'm not sure I agree about the car analogy. I have yet to see an 
Owner's Manual explain how to use the steering wheel and brakes. That's a 
better analogy for keyboards and mice, with which few users who have made 
it to the point of asking for help on a forum seem to have any trouble (so 
long as they only need to type English, that is ;-).

The things Linux users have trouble with correspond more, IMHO, to working 
the radio and the rear-window defogger -- which *are* explained in detail 
in the Owner's Manual and which *do* differ from model-to-model. In fact, 
like with Linux distros, differences in *those* parts of the UI seems to 
be something the manufacturers actually promote as competitive factors.

Third, I'm not sure I'd like living in a world where all computers worked 
exactly the same. I can maybe see making them look pretty much the same 
out of the box and allowing for customization later -- once the user gets 
the feel for the basics. But it seems to me that's exactly what RedHat 
tried to do for their commercial customers and they're *still* catching 
flak for it. Can't win on that front, it seems.

I haven't bought a distro-specific book for years so I can't speak to the 
quality of what's available today. But I don't think the existence of, or 
even the need for, such a thing is "sad" at all. Everyone has to start 
somewhere and by the time the reader is in a position to make good use of 
a generic book on Linux (or Unix, or whatever), they'll have outgrown 
their distro-specific volume anyway. I don't have a problem with that.

---
Joseph L (Joe) Larabell            Never fight with a dragon
http://larabell.org/                    for thou art crunchy
http://thelemicleague.org/        and goest well with cheese.